Chapter 508: Technique vs. Stats

The sound of blades clashing continuously spread through the mist and rain; Sasaki Kojiro's figure was agile, his Footwork advancing and retreating with ease, and that Tachi of astonishing length forced Saber back time and again from various inconceivable angles.

Saber frowned; she found it difficult to Adapt to the other party's swordsmanship.

Logically speaking, she should have been able to see through such sword movements after seeing the same technique performed once or twice, but this nameless swordsman gave her a sense of danger every single time.

Hum!

A flash of blade light exploded, scattering the mist and rain; Sasaki Kojiro took the opportunity to retreat a few steps, opening up the distance, and slowly retracted his long sword with both hands as a condensed momentum began to gather.

He slowly closed his eyes.

"Saber, you are unable to use your Noble Phantasm, are you not?"

"What a pity..."

Sasaki Kojiro sighed, and the next moment, the long sword vibrated slightly; Artoria suddenly shuddered all over, as she suddenly felt a chill at her throat and saw a vision of her own throat being slashed by a sword.

Crack, crack.

Saber subconsciously retreated a few steps.

Sasaki Kojiro did not open his eyes, but a smile appeared at the corners of his mouth.

"As expected of Saber, even in an incomplete state, you are still so sharp."

Emiya Shirou did not understand what had happened, but Qiu Luo knew very clearly that although Sasaki Kojiro was not a normal Heroic Spirit, he was merely a pseudo-Assassin summoned by Medea, who was a Caster.

However, he was a swordsman who had cultivated his technique to the pinnacle; relying solely on skill, he was able to exert a certain suppression on Saber, who was currently unable to use her Noble Phantasm or other powers.

If not for Saber being covered in armor, she would likely have already suffered quite a few injuries by now.

At a time like this, he knew it was time for him to make a move; this kind of purely technical swordsman Servant was the best match for a cryomancer like him.

Click, click~

A chill spread from beneath his feet; Qiu Luo temporarily set aside the conflict in his heart and was about to walk out, but suddenly felt a strong palpitation.

It was as if his heart had begun to sink uncontrollably for an instant; that oppressive, stifling feeling made it seem as though he would die in the next second.

He clutched his chest, gasping for air involuntarily.

The world before his eyes had turned black and white, as if countless lines were falling.

This feeling is... Spiritual Pressure?!

Qiu Luo had dealt with the Black Man-Eating Flower team quite a bit, and naturally had also crossed swords with that Chizha who had obtained a rare Zanpakuto enhancement, experiencing the oppression Spiritual Pressure exerted on ordinary people.

But even when Chizha released his Zanpakuto, it had never brought him such a terrifying feeling.

The Heroic Spirit Emiya already had the twin swords Kanshou and Bakuya in hand; his muscles were tense as he stood with his back to Tohsaka Rin and the others, guarding them.

He looked at the dangerous man at the very end of the line with a solemn gaze.

The power released in that instant just now... it was the pressure of the Soul!

"You... what exactly are you?!"

Sasaki Kojiro also opened his eyes; the Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal had not been unleashed, and neither had Saber; all of them looked behind them.

Bai Cangshu opened his eyes, his consciousness returning from that space, the silvery-white luster remaining in his eyes slowly dimming; he clearly felt at this moment the restraint and suppression the physical body exerted upon the Soul.

It was like a cage, firmly trapping the power of the Soul.

Bai Cangshu was not in a good mood regarding this experience of briefly gaining and then losing power, so seeing Heroic Spirit Emiya's wariness and questioning, he could not be bothered to pay him any mind.

He merely looked indifferently at Sasaki Kojiro, who was still blocking the mountain gate, and at Saber, who could not even display her full "performance" due to the lack of Magic Power supply from her Master, and took a step forward.

Crack.

The stone slab where Bai Cangshu's foot landed instantly cracked; the cracks were like gray-black snakes, rapidly winding forward, and in an instant, they had passed beneath everyone's feet.

Qiu Luo subconsciously retreated a few steps.

The next moment.

Boom!

Violent Force erupted beneath the ground, the stone slabs exploded, and a gully over ten meters long had already formed underground, with its end exactly where Sasaki Kojiro was standing.

Heroic Spirit Emiya instantly pulled Tohsaka Rin and Emiya Shirou away; the danger of this Assassin, Tao Baibai, kept rising in his eyes. Capricious and extremely violent—this kind of guy was extremely dangerous!

Bai Cangshu's gaze swept indifferently over Emiya Shirou, who could not provide Magic Power, and Saber, who could not fight at full strength, then landed on the face of the swordsman in the purple samurai outfit.

"Come, let me witness your secret sword."

A strong momentum was continuously emitted; as Bai Cangshu walked over step by step, he was thinking about whether Sasaki Kojiro, as a pseudo-Heroic Spirit, would enter the Lesser Grail if killed.

A faint killing intent brushed against Sasaki Kojiro's cheek; he felt a stimulation completely different from before.

Saber wanted to fight again, but Qiu Luo and Emiya Shirou both dissuaded her; both were somewhat uneasy about Tao Baibai and did not want a conflict to occur.

Bai Cangshu's hands hung at his sides, his long black hair dancing in the air; his eyes were half-open and half-closed, his figure seemingly merging into the mist and rain.

Sasaki Kojiro's mind tightened, knowing the newcomer must be a Martial Arts Grandmaster; he slid his foot half a step forward and raised his hands.

The next moment, a strong sword intent rose abruptly.

His body, which could not be considered powerful in the slightest, seemed to merge into a certain imagery and rhythm in an instant.

The sword was raised, and Monohoshizao was drawn naturally; its trajectory was profound, the arc like a swallow returning to its nest.

Ring!

With a single sword chime, three sword lights lit up simultaneously.

One from top to bottom, two slashing diagonally from the sides; the three sword lights slashed out at the same time, but with the passive activation of Heart Vortex, Bai Cangshu saw everything with absolute clarity.

There was no Thaumaturgy mixed into this, nor any special abilities like clones, and certainly no effect of time acceleration or deceleration.

This was purely technique, belonging to a sword master's realization of the Dao of the sword.

That was the secret sword condensed from Skill.

Clang, clang, clang!

Three extremely fast sounds of metal clashing appeared; Bai Cangshu's figure seemed to tremble like a phantom.

The next moment, Sasaki Kojiro's stance was broken, he retreated two steps, and the web between the thumbs and forefingers of the hands holding Monohoshizao had already split open.

He looked at Bai Cangshu, his eyes mixed with astonishment and shock.

If it could be said that he utilized a perfected technique, then what Bai Cangshu used to break this exquisite Sword Skill was the most simple and unadorned "numerical value."

He activated Instant, and with speed pure to the extreme, he struck after but arrived first, blocking all three sword strikes completely.

"It is indeed a beautiful Sword Skill, but it is a pity that you are too weak."

Hum!

Bai Cangshu took a step forward, leaving an afterimage in place, his figure already appearing before Sasaki Kojiro from the wind.

His right hand slowly retracted like a long sword, his intense aura condensed into one.

In this instant, Sasaki Kojiro's pupils dilated; he saw a familiar image appear.

The next moment.

Ring!

Although it was an arm as black as ink, it emitted a strong sword hum.

One strike from top to bottom, two strikes slashing down diagonally from the left and right sides.

It was exactly the Secret Sword: Swallow Reversal that he had poured his life's talent into cultivating!

Pfft!

A sound of flesh being sliced open appeared, but three wounds simultaneously emerged on Sasaki Kojiro's chest.

Sasaki Kojiro seemed unable to feel the pain of being slashed; he only looked at Bai Cangshu's right arm with vacant eyes.

How could it be possible for someone to master his own secret sword after seeing it only once...

As Sasaki Kojiro fell backward, Bai Cangshu had already passed by his side.

"Qiu Luo, take him, don't let him die."

As Bai Cangshu crossed the mountain gate, he immediately felt himself pass through a layer of Magic Barrier.

He looked up and sure enough saw the witch draped in a purple Magic robe already waiting there in front of the stone-paved plaza of Ryudou Temple, while a man wearing a black suit appeared silently at a position a dozen meters to Bai Cangshu's side.

(End of this chapter)